One of the investigation’s key findings concerned VFS staff pushing optional value-added services, such as premium lounges and courier services, without making their optional nature clear.VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing company, has responded to the findings of a global investigation into its visa outsourcing operations, insisting that its services are transparent, tightly audited and “subject to rigorous and continuous government oversight”.In separate responses to questionnaires sent by The Indian Express and Lighthouse Reports on the investigation’s findings about VFS Global’s visa processing centres, the company said it “operates across more than 160 countries as a trusted partner for 71 client governments and has processed in excess of half a billion visa applications since 2001”.It stressed that its contracts are “awarded through competitive international or regional tenders, rigorously assessed over 12-18 months against criteria including compliance standards, data security, operational resilience, and financial strength”.The company’s main argument is that it operates under exceptional levels of oversight, undergoing “more than 10,000 audits and assessments annually, conducted by internal and external auditors, including those assigned by client governments”. It maintained that where problems are identified, “structured remediation plans are implemented”. VFS Global centre in New Delhi. (Express photo by Abhinav Saha)Value-added services are optional, transparentOne of the investigation’s key findings concerned VFS staff pushing optional value-added services, such as premium lounges and courier services, without making their optional nature clear. VFS rejected this characterisation, asserting that “applicants are clearly informed across multiple touchpoints — both online and at visa application centres — that these services are optional, do not influence visa decisions or processing times, and are priced transparently”.“These services are developed in consultation with, and approved by, client governments… The pricing is government-approved and benchmarked. VFS Global maintains a zero- tolerance approach to any coercion or misrepresentation,” it said.Story continues below this ad People wait in a queue in front of the Trade Centre building where the office of VFS Global is located. (Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)Appointments, data protectionRegarding the proliferation of fake appointments and visa shopping highlighted in the inspection reports, VFS maintained that these issues lie largely outside its control. It pointed to its “robust multi-layered security measures”, including “OTP authentication and CAPTCHA”, and its public awareness campaign — #DoNotFallForFraud — as evidence of proactive efforts. It also clarified that “appointment availability, processing times, documentation requirements and visa decisions are entirely determined by client governments. There is no such thing as a premium appointment.”“VFS Global maintains a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct and fraud, collaborating with local law enforcement wherever credible evidence exists and ensuring transparent reporting to client governments. All employees undergo comprehensive background screening prior to hiring,” it said.On bribery allegations, VFS stated that it “is certified for Anti-Bribery Management systems, and operates a whistleblower hotline to ensure that appropriate and corrective or investigative actions are taken on any such matters”. It described instances of misconduct as “extremely rare relative to its scale”.Story continues below this adOn data protection, which was a key concern raised by inspectors who found biometric data on unencrypted discs, VFS said it “operates within a robust governance framework aligned with GDPR (EU’s General Data Protection Regulation) and local regulations”, with data retention and deletion “contractually defined by client governments and executed through jurisdiction-specific protocols”.